Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 30 September 2021
148. Deputy Jennifer Whitmore asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications the steps he has taken to mitigate the energy price hike over the past year; the reason for his views that Ireland’s energy security is not currently being threatened by national and international factors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47249/21]
View answerI have no role surrounding the regulation of energy prices. This is a matter for the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (the CRU). The majority of the natural gas consumed in Ireland is imported from the UK which has a range of diverse sources including domestic production, pipeline imports and LNG imports. There are no issues with natural gas supply from the UK and gas is continuing to flow and be traded normally in Ireland.
The CRU has statutory responsibility to monitor and take measures necessary to ensure the security of electricity supply in Ireland and has advised of a number of challenges to our electricity supply system.
These challenges include lower than expected availability of some existing power stations; anticipated new power stations not being developed as planned; expected growth in demand for electricity including due to the growth of data centres; and the expected closure of power stations that make up approximately 25% of conventional electricity generation capacity over the coming years.
There is a range of actions being taken by the CRU which they have set out in an information note published yesterday.
